Non-binary Pride Flag

Non-binary people simply feel their gender does not fit on the traditional male-female binary. But as well as an identity, it is also an umbrella term and may include androgynous, genderqueer, third gender, trans and other people.

The term non-binary and its flag came into use after genderqueer. And, while there is a lot of overlap between the two, non-binary has become a popular term for people who don’t feel they identify with genderqueer as well as people who do.

Activist Kye Rowan is credited with creating the non-binary flag in 2014. Each stripe represents part of the range of non-binary identities.

Yellow stands for identifying outside of the male-female gender binary. White, in this case, is for non-binary people who embrace more than one gender identity. Meanwhile purple again is a mix of both male and female genders and black stands for being agender.

Tris Reid-Smith/GSN

What Does It Mean to Be Non-Binary?

Being non-binary means that a person’s gender identity doesn’t fit within the traditional categories of male or female. Non-binary individuals may identify as a mix of both genders, neither gender, or as a different gender entirely. This identity challenges the binary understanding of gender and emphasizes a more fluid or flexible experience of gender. Non-binary people may also use terms like genderqueer, genderfluid, or agender, depending on their specific experience. The key aspect of being non-binary is that it acknowledges a diverse range of gender expressions and identities beyond the male-female binary.